The Emmy-winning Frasier has reportedly jumped into the endless stream of sitcom revivals, reboots (and spinoffs of abruptly canceled revivals), as star Kelsey Grammer and CBS TV Studios are exploring the idea of rebooting the series. The recent trend of bringing popular sitcoms back for another go-round has not abated, even in the wake of the Roseanne controversy and, in a less scandalous way, the news that the proposed Mad About You revival is now in question due to some complications behind the scenes in getting a deal done.
Though it’s a long way off from being a thing, the news that Frasier might be making his way back to television isn’t too much of a surprise. During its 11-season run on NBC, the spinoff from Cheers amassed an impressive number of awards at both the Emmys and the Golden Globes, with Grammer winning four Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Curiously, though, and as mentioned above, reports of Frasier’s return state it would be a reboot of the series, not a revival.
More: Deadwood Revival Movie Begins Production In October
As reported by Deadline, Grammer has been taking meetings with writers who are “pitching different concepts” for the proposed series. What that means in terms of how or if the potential new series plans to address the story already told by the previous one remains to be seen. It also raises plenty of questions as to whether or not supporting cast members like David Hyde Pierce, who played Frasier’s fussy brother Niles, or Jane Leeves, as live-in housekeeper and physical therapist Daphne Moon, will be considered at all.
Because John Mahoney, who played Frasier’s father Martin throughout the series’ run, died in February of this year, it makes sense that Grammer and the powers that be at CBS TV Studios may want to distance themselves from the original series, and explore other avenues in bringing the psychiatrist back to television. Doing so would allow the potential series to standout from other recent revivals like Will & Grace or the upcoming Murphy Brown, but it could also prove to be a hard sell to potential viewers, especially since they can stream the original series’ 250+ episodes on services like Netflix and CBS All Access.
At any rate, it seems like a possible Frasier reboot is still far from having a concrete idea, much less bringing that idea to fruition. In other words, don’t expect to be ordering up more tossed salads and scrambled eggs anytime soon.
Next: Trial & Error Review: NBC’s True-Crime Spoof Gets Even Sillier In Season 2
Source: Deadline
